“The truth is, falling in love with you was the most inevitable, uncontrollable thing to ever hit me.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

There is a good reason why this book is so hyped up. Within 20 pages, I was smiling and laughing, literally the first chapter had me giggling. The dentist puns were absolutely hilarious and had me choking on my water.

The anxiety rep in this book was written incredibly well. I have never felt so seen while reading a rom-com. All of the little things that somebody without anxiety wouldn’t think twice about that send people with anxiety into an absolute spin were all so beautifully done.

I genuinely think that this is the only time “instalove” has ever worked for me. It usually feels very unrealistic and cringy, but Harper and Dan’s relationship, whilst, yes, was instant, still ebbed and flowed beautifully throughout the novel, and those ups and downs made the whole relationship feel real.

I am very much looking forward to reading Mazey Eddings next book as these characters felt so real and I adored her writing!

3.5 ⭐️

this started off with the potential to be one of my fav romances. harper and dan were so cute and funny and the dynamic between them was lovely. their wit >>>

i loved the dental school setting. the tension, banter, tenderness and affection were all perfect. i felt so much for both harper and dan. i wanted to hug them

i’m not sure at what point my rating started to come down a little, but these were my main qualms:

- the love confession was a little premature and the whole drunk harper scene gave me second hand embarrassment
- the feminist takes were sometimes annoying. whilst i appreciate conversations on sexism in the work place/academia, it felt kind of clunky in places. it’s also quite tiresome when there’s no mention of intersectionality
- i didn’t really feel the sexual chemistry (past the building tension)
- the writing style was a little melodramatic in places (it seemed to escalate the further into the book you got)
- both harper and dan felt younger than their 26 years to me
- harper had WAY more apologising to be doing imo

that said, i did still enjoy myself and this book provides everything you would want and expect from a cute, heartfelt romcom. overall, an enjoyable debut novel

rep:
- jewish fmc
- anxiety (chronic panic disorder)

cw’s include: grief, death of a parent, anxiety disorders

After seeing some of the hype for this book on Instagram and TikTok, I was so excited when I saw that it was available to request on Netgalley and I read it straight away when my request was accepted.
I absolutely adored this book with my whole heart. I loved Harper and Dan. I loved their relationship. I loved the friends to lovers arc. I loved everything about both Harper and Dan.
I loved the anxiety representation with my whole heart. As someone who struggles with anxiety, the representation was done so well and I found myself connecting so much with Harper because I could see myself so much in her character.
I loved all the characters. I loved Harper's friend group. I loved Dan's friends. I loved the storyline. I simply loved everything about this book.
The cover of this book is absolutely beautiful and one of my all time favourite covers. I cannot wait to own a physical copy of this book so I can keep it on my shelf and stare at how beautiful the cover is.
I cannot wait to read more of Mazey Eddings books as I adored this one with my whole heart.

Review published at Romancing Romances.

I received an eARC at no cost from the publisher, and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review. Thank you.

First things first. I’m friends with Mazey, so I might not be completely unbiased regarding HER FIRST PUBLISHED BOOK (so proud of you)!!!! Anyway, I’ll try and be fair.

One of the things I really liked was the depiction of anxiety and panic attacks in this book. We live in an age where we are constantly being bombarded with stimulus that keep putting our nerves on edge. With the added pressure of school, uni, jobs, LIFE – it gets to be too much. I related very much to Harper, and some of the descriptions of how she felt really hit close to home. Dan (or Dental Dan I should say!) is the best cinnamon roll ever. He may be a legacy, but not all legacies are horrible! Dan is very much a go-getter when it comes to Harper – not in a pushy way, but he knows he likes her, and he’s willing to fight for her, and make concessions for her. I did think sometimes that he allowed himself to be pushed over by others, and that he should stand up for himself a bit more, but I understand with was a difficult situation (although if you say you had a good relationship with someone, you should trust they will want you to be happy!).
Mazey Eddings
Harper is a bit more…more. She’s the person always thinking of her studies, for several reasons: she loves it, she knows it’s a competitive job market out there, and it’s easier to focus on your studies and control how you will do by how you study/practise, then to try and control your life (which, as we all know, we can’t. It just doesn’t work). She can be stubborn, and not very flexible, but her friends call her out on it, and it helps lighten the mood.

We have several sexy times, and they fit the story well. There is no rushing, even if there is an attraction right from the beginning.

Harper’s friends are always in the background, and I can’t wait to read their own books.

The main story flows with the growth of Harper and Dan’s relationship, and we get to know them a bit more and understand their motivations.

I’ll admit, I was a bit scared for Dan, that Harper leaning so much on him and being a bit toxic could harm him, so I was actually really happy that they were apart for a bit and that Harper got to the point where she embraced therapy and was dealing with her issues without dumping them on others and then emotionally hurting herself and others. So, yay for therapy! The ending was great, I liked the evolution the characters got, and now can’t wait for the next one!

I think a lot of people will enjoy this but it wasn't what I expected. I love that it was about dentists which was a little something different but I'm not really into instalove romance stories. The characters lacked chemistry and I didn't really understand why they liked one another. I also lost interest quite quickly and felt that the side characters lacked personality, they were only there to push the main characters into a romance. It's a shame because I'd seen this one around bookstagram and thought it would be my sort of thing but not enough happened in the story to keep me going.

A brush with love is available now.

It was an interesting story with characters that left me wanting more. Including a stem heroine is what most people are looking forward in romance books nowadays and I will always look that up.

I liked how the author has made Harper so real, with her anxiety and post trauma stress and how many times people who have to live with it daily can’t always cope well. The realisation of needing help for therapy from both of them was nicely done and maybe it brought a bit more awareness that there's always help available when needed.

A kiss is sometimes the only thing that's needed for a relationship to turn into a happily ever after. Their banter and inner voices kept a smile on my face throughout the story, and it was just nice to read something so lighthearted.

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy through NetGalley

When I saw this book advertised on NetGalley and read the blurb, I immediately knew this is going to be amazing….and it was!

Mazey Eddings's debut romance novel ‘A Brush with Love’ was one of the cutest rom-coms I have read. For me, it had The Kiss Quotient mixed with The Love Hypothesis vibe and I loved it since I am a big fan of both of those books.

The book is about fourth-year dentistry student Harper, who loves dentistry and only really cares about her career, especially getting to the best residency programme. She also likes to keep herself busy with books and studying as that’s one of the best ways she can mask her anxiety. She had her life under control until she meets a first-year dentistry student Dan and falls head over heels for him. Dan’s character can’t be more opposite to Harper, he is calm, sociable, and knows that dentistry is not his passion. Although, he has his own issues with grief and belonging, which made him a very likeable character. I think at times Harper did play too much with his feelings, which is another thing that is different in this rom-com, as usually, the guy is the one that plays with girls’ feelings.

Harper’s character at times was frustrating to read, especially her being adamant not to get help and just pretending that she can control her anxiety alone, not even talking about it with her best friends. At times, I also didn’t like how she played with Dan’s feelings and kept backing out after leading him on. Although, at the same time, I understood why she was like this, especially why she didn’t want to get help and why she wanted to keep herself to herself.

Dan’s character was my favourite. He was so caring, understanding, gentle and patient with Harper, it made me fall in love with his character even more. I wanted him to be happy and find his happily ever after so much.

Eddings did an excellent job at shining light onto the anxiety and giving it a representation in a romance book. I do strongly believe that more books need to have characters like Harper so that readers can learn more and become understanding of these issues in real life.

Also, I liked that attention to sexism was drawn into this story to again show that it is hard to be a female in a job where even though you are skilful and talented, some people will still look down on you like you are less.

Overall, this book is funny and witty, with such a cute romance and genuine friendships. At the same time, the issues talked about in this book, including sexism, anxiety, and grief, just made this book more real and relatable. I really enjoyed this book and it is definitely going to be one of the top romance books, I have read this year.
I recommend this book if you loved The Love Hypothesis and The Kiss Quotient, as this book has a bit of everything for everyone.

Can't wait for the second book in this series.

Thank you so much for Headline Eternal and NetGalley for the eARC. I’m so glad I got to read this brilliant romance.

This was a good little romance read and made a brilliant palate cleanser in between heavier reads. Although it does touch upon some more serious topics it was overall a happy read. I enjoyed the unusual setting of a dentistry school it made a change from the usual romantic settings.
However, I did find the dialogue a real struggle. It all seemed very fake.

The PERFECT book for any rom-com fans. This was so brilliantly written and I loved the representation of mental health and anxiety, which was portrayed really well. I found myself addicted to this book and I had to keep reading at every chance I got.

BOOK REVIEW: A Brush With Love by Mazey Eddings

3.5 Stars

I didn't know what to expect from this book but I am really glad that I read it!

A Brush with Love is a very cute romance based on Dentistry students Harper and Dan. Harper always strives for perfection but is constantly covering up her crippling anxiety caused from a painful past. She was an interesting character to get to know and I found her endearing, a little frustrating at times but a great representation of someone with anxiety. Dan is a rather cool and calm character that you cannot help but love. Dan was definitely my favourite character and I desperately wanted him to find happiness. Often these books have the guy being a "bad guy" or grumpy so it was refreshing to have such a kind, caring and uplifting male lead. I also loved that the book was dual POV and so we got to hear his side as well as Harpers. The story is your typical romance of mid twenties students who are still finding their way in life. I really liked the book overall but especially that it included such real issues such as anxiety and grief. They were both handled very well and I applaud Mazey Eddings for this.
There were a few issues that made this not quite a 4 star read for me. I felt the first half dragged a little and there was a decent amount of repetition. I also found that the characters acted younger than they were, more 19/20 than 25.
I really enjoyed the humour in this book and the side characters really added to this and so I cannot wait to read the next book and see their stories as well!
The smut was okay, steamy but a little vague at times and so not quite as well written as I wanted!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and definitely look forward to reading the next in this series. I recommend it to anyone that wants a cute romance with a side of smut and tougher themes.

Please note that I was #gifted this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed A Brush with Love, the debut novel from Mazey Eddings. It was a brilliant rom-com that also had fantastic anxiety representation.

A Brush with Love centres on dental student Harper. She is anxiously awaiting news from the residency program of her dreams. Harper is known for high performance and laser focus and so (literally) crashing into Dan is the type of dreamy distraction she tries to avoid. Harper and Dan try to be ‘just friends’, a plan with the best of intentions, but one that becomes increasingly hard to stay on track with. Will Harper be able to take down her protective barriers and learn that it’s ok to pursue her dream career and find love?

As characters I really loved both Harper and Dan. They were both very well developed, and felt very real and relatable. Harper is incredibly driven and focused, but running under that is her crippling anxiety. Whilst Dan is faced with a future he’s not sure he wants, overwhelmed by guilt and family burden. Despite the issues that Harper and Dan struggle with they brought out so much light, humour and fun in each other. They’re chemistry was brilliant and they’re growing relationship a joy to read.

At times Harper’s anxiety was really hard to read about, but I think that’s the way it should be. Eddings portrayal of Harper’s anxiety is very powerful indeed. Her anxiety, manifesting in claustrophobia, perfectionism and ultimately control are painfully relatable. That it consumes Harper to such a degree makes you feel so deeply for her, she’s aware of what is happening and yet struggles to see a way out, such is the vicious cycle of anxiety. Her experience in the hospital was especially heartbreaking. I think what Eddings has done here, in highlighting anxiety to such a degree is so important and I appreciate it so much.

I loved the female friendships within this book. Whilst Harper’s growing friendship with Dan was a huge focus in the story, her female friendships were equally significant. Thu was a wonderfully supportive friend to Harper, and a hilarious and strong woman in her own right. I also loved how Lizzie, an otherwise light and comic character, opened up and shared her own experiences with Harper in order to help her friend and thus exposing her own vulnerabilities.

A Brush with Love is a fantastic debut and I look forward to reading whatever Eddings writes next.

DNF at 37%. This book seems a bit too cutesy for me. Over a third of the way through and nothing has really happened. I prefer my romance reads to have much more chemistry and spice which I’m not feeling with the main characters of this one. Just not a good read for me I’m afraid.

A Brush with Love centres ambitious dental student harper who is anxiously awaiting placement into a residency programme and Dan, a first-year dental student who a family legacy to contend with. Dan doesn’t have the same passion for pulling teeth that Harper does, but he does have a passion for her - after they literally bump into each one day. Harper can’t afford distractions and the pair agree to be “just friends”. But the more time they spend together, the closer they get.

A huge thank you to Netgalley for letting me read this one. I was very excited when I saw it was available because I love a heart-warming romance and find them so comforting to read. This was a lovely story - It was very cute, uplifting, and entertaining. I enjoyed the fact that Harper and Dan met straight away at the beginning of the book as it took me straight into the story.

It was heartening to follow Harper on her journey throughout the story. Harper was a genuine character, and this book reflects that life doesn’t always go to plan, and it was those challenges and hurdles that Harper had faced, made her realise what she wanted. At times I did find my connection to the characters lacking – one minute I loved them, next I was frustrated with them and the arguments felt quite forced and difficult to read.

Overall - I highly recommend this one for a heart-warming contemporary romance.

A Brush With Love is a fun, fast paced and rather adorable contemporary rom-com; with relatable characters, compelling plot and a really enjoyable insta love style romance (which was a bit of a surprise as I don’t isally enjoy the insta love trope.)

Anxiously awaiting news on the residency program of her dreams Harper Horowitz (in laser focus mode) accidentally crashes into Dan Craige, who is just the dreamy distraction she’s been trying to avoid.

Dan may not be a passionate about pulling teeth as Harper but he’s instantly smitten. So when Harper makes it clear she’s doesn’t have time for anything that no strictly platonic the pair decide to ‘just be friends’. But alas they’re plan is harder to follow through on—late nights in the dental lab (and match-making efforts of their friends) only draw them closer together. Still, Harper worries that a romance with Dan might risk everything she’s worked so hard to build.

Harper may have no trouble acing her studies, but falling in love is a whole new challenge…

This was such a well written and charming debut with genuinely likeable characters I couldn’t help but root for.

The level of detail in the dental school and dental related content was exceptionally good and felt authentic to the characters and added such an incredible depth. I also really appreciated the slow buildup of Harper and Dan’s relationship- first getting to know one another as friends which (for me at least) really helped to connect emotionally with them both, learning about their pasts, their reasons for future career choice and the struggles they’ve experienced (or overcome.)

Harper was probably my favourite, she super shy at times but I loved seeing her open up and let down her guard a little which is when her personality begins to shine (such as the grocery shopping scene.)

Dan was also a really enjoyable character who has his own fair share of personal issues to work through but his dedication to help Harper in some of her most vulnerable moments, and to just generally support her was just soo sweet—all I can say is we need more real world Dans. Also his first introduction to Judy was comedy gold!

I was really impressed with the anxiety rep (which I loved) and how sensitively many of the themes and social issues such as sexism, grief and mental health were explored.

Overall, this was a witty, satisfyingly romantic and swoon worthy read that fans of The Love Hypothesis should definitely check out.

Also, thanks to headline eternal and Netgalley for the e-arc.

This was a really cute read which also covered some harder topics with real respect. My favourite parts were definitely where it touched on religion, sexism and mental health. I actually came away from this book feeling like I'd learnt something new which is always a wonderful feeling.

The friendships were really fun and sweet, I loved all the banter which was executed brilliantly!

Unfortunately where this fell a bit flat for me was the romance. It felt very insta love, and as a slow burn fan I couldn't get my head around how anyone could fall in love after a couple of meetings and before even kissing. I also felt like Ben had a bit of a hero / knight in shining armour complex which wound me up slightly as Harper was always a badass all on her own!

Overall I'd recommend this to readers who liked certain romances and don't mind a speedy pace, but I'd have liked a bit more of a build up to reflect real life romance.

A Brush With Love is an adorable romance focusing on Harper and Dan, two dental students who have very different views of their future. Harper is a focused student, top of her class and determined to get into the cutthroat residency of her dreams, whilst also dealing with a crippling anxiety that convinces her she'll never have a romantic relationship. Dan on the other hand has pretty much been thrust into the dental life thanks to his mother, who has a job lined up for him when he finishes--a job he's not entirely sure he wants.

Their romance is a sweet one. Dan is pretty much smitten with her from the start and the way he responds to Harper, and everyone else around him, is so heart-warming. He genuinely just wants to make everyone happy. Harper as well is such a good MC, she is dedicated and driven to succeed, even with her anxiety trying to hold her back. The way she overcomes this throughout the book is wonderful to read and so authentic, it really made me relate to her as a character and root for her from the start.

I loved how their relationship develops, they become friends first before it develops into something more but there's always an underlying tension between the two of them -- something their friends pick up on. Harper's friends may be one of my favourite aspects of this book. They are a hilarious bunch, especially Thu and I cannot wait for Lizzie's book to come out later this year.

Overall this was an amazing debut and I cannot wait to see what Eddings writes in the future!

Many thanks to Netgalley & Headline Eternal for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this book. I saw Helen Hoang talk about it a while back and I needed my hands on this book. The only problem was that this felt a bit insta-love, but apart from that, I really enjoyed this book.

I whizzed through this book, it was a quick, easy and fun read that I thought was well writtne with relatable characters and a compelling storyline. I really enjoyed it.

Thanks for my earc! This was an enjoyable contemporary read with romance and friendship themes. Read if you love STEM, nerdy love, family drama and workaholics.

I loved this book so much! Despite touching on a number of complex issues, there was something really warm and sweet about it, and I couldn't stop listening. Harper was a great MC: ambitious, intelligent and very relatable. The depiction of her anxiety was really well done and my heart broke for her during those scenes. I also fell in love with Dental Dan, and how he just went through the world trying to make everyone around him happy and was so smitten with Harper from the start 🥺 The mutual pining and sexual tension between them was so, so good, and I loved the way their relationship slowly developed from friends to more. All of the secondary characters were also absolutely hilarious and chaotic, and I loved every single scene that they were in. The scientist in me also really enjoyed all the dental talk and I actually learnt a couple of things from reading this (teeth are cool, people!) I cannot wait to see what's going to happen in Lizzie's book; I can already tell it's going to be a blast, and I'm going to be on the edge of my seat from now until September waiting for it!